sfc

The vast majority of hobbyists and vloggers will get better results with a GH5/S or XT-3 than the 4K Pocket. Just like the vast majority of them got better results with a GH3, 5D3 etc than the original Pocket and the endless ‘organic retro lut’ grades that abounded with that camera. Although Blackmagic are trying to aim this camera at a broader market that the Ursa 4.6k/Pro, I don’t think it is the right solution for people who don’t use Davinci in their workflow. BM have tried to simplify things for users with the Gen4 colour science but they overestimate the average person’s interest in correctly white balancing (even in post), using more than one node, appropriate lift/gamma/gain and selective sharpening etc. The fact that this camera has a much higher quality ceiling than everything else under $3k doesn’t mean it will play out that way in most situations. It is in that tricky space between being able to cut seamlessly with an ARRI or Ursa Mini Pro(which looks fantastic with Gen4 colour) and looking potentially worse than consumer cams.

Based on what I have seen, rather than the marketing materials, I regard the GH5S as a great cam for event and wedding shooters who are always running around with monopods, little gimbals and little lenses. However, in my workflow, I don't want a b-cam that doesn't have IBIS. I have enough heavy gear and manual glass to deal with without the headaches of a rig for a stills body cam. Whether the image quality is an improvement over the GH5 outside of low light, or actually a little worse...remains to be seen. In terms of what is good for low budget cinematographers, I suppose if the highlight roll off is as good as is claimed and the motion cadence is improved...the GH5S may be a contender over blackmagic purely for ease of use and reliability. I definitely don't think that the GH5S release is a 'fail' in any way. It has it's place and people on forums have been loving the whole 'low light monster' meme since the A7S came out. I want Panasonic to continue to innovate.

Better than EVA-1 in Vlog? 14 stops of DR? No IBIS because it jitters on tripods even when it is off? Really does sound like a no excuses camera. Nothing at all like that outdated GH5 camera.

When a GH5 + Zeiss + IBIS can get you this, I don't see a GH5s as an 'upgrade'...unless you're doing weddings or events without lights:

After having some time to digest and looking at some footage… I know it goes against the way they’re marketing it, but the GH5s seems more suited to events and weddings where you don’t have much light control, whereas the GH5 is for more fast paced commercial work where you do (and use manual glass where gimbal work is a nightmare). I see no image quality improvements outside of low light, and I see several downgrades in terms of versatility in what modern producers expect from a stills form factor cam. I honestly like that Panasonic have released it, but I think that it should cost a bit LESS than the GH5 if anything…even with the free v-log. And despite some hyperbolic comments here, there is no way either camera is comparable to the EVA. In a high end workflow, they are just two different types of b-cam.

It looks like a great camera, and I can imagine it fitting in great with certain workflows. But it’s probably not something I would swap my GH5 for. I mostly use the GH5 as a b-cam (to a Canon C) or for vlogging. I’ve never been in a situation where the low light was a problem and IBIS is something I rely on for work - usually getting b-roll under time pressures. Not a fan of putting anything with manual glass on a gimbal out in the field. We will be adding an EVA-1 to the lineup in the next month, and if the GH5s image somehow matches up better than the GH5 I might be swayed to purchase. But I still don't think i'd get rid of a camera as versatile as the GH5.

C100 mkii. Quite stunning 50/60p.